And as I flipped to the end of one of her books,
there sat an invitation for readers
to join a 'review crew' for the publisher!
My kids could get unpublished manuscripts to read and review?
How fast can you say 'Hello, my kids are so on board?!'

So moving on...

now seems like the perfect time to show you my favorite section

in a recent children's exhibition at SouthBank (London) over the summer

- 'aMAZEme' labyrinth of books -

Not a great photo, but the concept is that as you walk through the maze

you encounter blinding thick rain, secret passageways,

invisible avalanches, dangerous pirates, magical waterfalls

which all are held within the pages that surround you in the maze

So creative!

All ages were reading books from that delicious assortment

It was irresistible

Covering over 500 sq meters, the 250,000 remaindered, used, and new books

were loaned by charity shop, Oxfam, and donated by publishing houses in the UK

Afterward, all books were given to Oxfam

The labyrinth was in the design of Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges's fingerprint

Hi! I'm Laura, an American mom living in southeast England since 2010. I live on a quiet pebbled lane with horses (not ours) across the street and woods at the end of the road. My husband, two kids, and a deaf cat are an integral part of my life story.

Lucky for me, we relocated to an island of beautiful gardens, delightful architecture, and delicious history & literature. Imagine, all my favs in one country! Wonderful soul food surrounds me :)

I write about all things English: day trips, local attractions, gardens, history, current events, and differences between American and English cultures. I can't resist a good story and photographing pretty places!

In my former American life, I designed bespoke children's clothing for four years which were sold online, in boutiques and at home shows. How I loved putting together wacky fabric combinations, finished with ribbon or ric-rac to pull it all together. Cutting fabric was my zen. It was a seven-days-a-week job with three others helping with sewing at times. I don't miss it, but I do reflect fondly on those years.

So, welcome to a peek into my world - pull up a chair, grab a cozy blanket, and enjoy a cup of tea. It's wonderful to have you here!

So now, I wonder if you have any questions for me?
About blogging? Being an expat? Anything
This may guide me for a future post
Thanks for taking a moment to comment or email, if you please :)

It is one of the best-known and most influential
British gardens from the Arts and Crafts movement

Previous owner, Lawrence Johnston, was a friend

to other innovative gardeners of his timeincluding Gertrude Jekyll and Vita Sackville-WestYou can see the commonality in their hardy flower borders,white garden, and garden of roomsAll such a visual delight!Come on in :)